Vulcanizer



A. L. WALLACE 2,205,1l2

VULCANIZER I 7 Filed Feb. 18, 1938 4'Sheets-Sheet 1' INVEN OR NW I .r' my D. ATTORNEY June 18, 1940. WALLACE 2,205,112 I VULCANIZER Filed Feb. 18, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented June 18, 1940 UNITED STATES VULCANIZER Archibald L. Wallace, Northport, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, of one-half to Archibald L. Wallace, and one-half to herryfield Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application February 18, 1938, Serial No. 191,129

6 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for vulcanizing hose, belts. or other similar objects con taining rubber. I

The main object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus of the character as indicated which shall be simple in construction and efficient in operation. I

A further object of the invention is to provide an envelope for the article to be vulcanized, during the vulcanizing operation, which is readily adjustable to different sizes and shapes of the article.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved envelope for the article to be vulcanized, while it is in the vulcanizer, by supplying longitudinally extending strips which are bound tightly against the said article by one or more strips wound about them.

A further object of the invention is to make the apparatus indefinitely continuous in opera-- tion by making the said longitudinal and'wound strips endless so that they may operate continu ously for any desired time.

The wound stripv or strips, which may be flat, round or of other desired cross section, may be wound on at the entrance to the vulcanizer and unwound after exit therefrom and this may be done by rotating the outer course or Courses of the strips about the vulcanizer, the outer course being the return from the exit to the entrance of the vulcanizer. Such rotation of the strip or strips about the vulcanizer would however be ordinarily interfered with by the support for the vulcanizer. It is therefore a further object of the invention to provide means for supporting the vulcanizer which will permit the rotation of the outer course or courses of the wound strip or strips about the vulcanizer.

More specifically, a. further object of the invention is to provide a. plurality of supports for the vulcanizer distributed circumferentially about it with means for successively moving such supports to permit passage of the outer course or courses in its rotation about the vulcanizer.

A further object of the invention is 'to provide apparatus of the character described with movable vulcanizer supports such that the vulcanizer may be made of any desired length and supported at any desired number of points in its length by duplicating the supports.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for supplying energy for heating the vulcanizer such that it shall permit the outer course of the wound strip to rotate about the vulcanizer to wind and unwind the strip.

A further object of the invention is to so relate the means for winding the strip about the hose or other article to be vulcanized and for passing such article through the vulcanizer that the strip will be wound with the desired pitch.

A further and more specific object of the in vention is to operatively connect together the means for passing the hose, or other article to be vulcanized, through the vulcanizer, and the means for winding the strip about such article whereby they will operate in desired relationship.

Aiurther specific object of the invention is to drive the strip winding means and the means for passing the article through the vulcanizer, from the same driving means while held in desired relation and the driving of the apparatus is simplified.

Other and ancillary objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanyingdrawings which illustrate the invention:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away and partly in section, of vulcanizing apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 1 at the left of that figure, with the hose pulling rollers and driving gear omitted;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, certain of the parts being omitted;

Fig. 4 is a central vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 of the right hand portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1, the apparatus being broken away and some of the parts of Fig. 1 being omitted; and

Fig. 5 is a detailed view, partly in elevation and partly in section, certain of the parts being omitted, showing the rings and brushes for arrangement of establishing electrical connections between the stationary and moving parts for the heating resistor.

Referring to the drawings, the hose I or other strip stock of indeterminate length comprising the rubber to be vulcanized, is passed through the vulcanizer chamber 2 of the vulcanizer. The vulcanizer comprises a steel cylinder 3 surrounding the chamber 2 through which the hose passes under the pull of the rolls t which engage frictionally with the hose and are connected in driving relation by the spur gears 5. The vulcanizer further comprises the electric resistance strip or wire 6 for producing the vulcanizing heat, which strip or wire is coiled about the-cylinder 3, sheet mica or other suitable insulating material i being interposed between the resistor 6 and the cylinder 3 to electrically insulate them from each other.

The convolutions of the resistor are spaced apart so as to be electrically insulated from each other and short circuits between adjacent convolutions avoided.

About the coiled resistor is placed sheet mica or other suitable material 8 electrically insulating the resistor from the steel cylinder 9 forming the outer wall of the vulcanizer. The outside of the cylinder 9 may have a covering ID of heat insulating material to confine the heat within the vulcanizer.

The ends of the vulcanizer are constituted by the heads 2I and 22 to which the cylinders 3 and 9 are secured in any suitable way.

To supply the heating current to the resistor there is mounted upon the vulcanizer the electrical conducting rings II and I2 respectively connected with the ends of the resistor adjacent the ends of the vulcanizer.

The vulcanizer is supported in the upright stationary supports I3 and I4. These supports, and their carried parts, are the same but face the opposite directions. To the outer side of each of the supports is fixed a ring I5 within which reciprocate plungers I6 distributed about the periphery of the vulcanizer, and at their inner ends, when at the inner ends of their strokes, bear against and support the vulcanizer. Rotatably mounted on the ring I5 is a cam ring I! carrying the cam strip I8 which passes through grooves I9 in the plungers, there being such a groove in each of the plungers. The cam strip is concentric with the axis of rotation except at the eccentric portion 20. The concentric portion of the cam strip I8, as it and the cam ring I? are rotated, causes the plungers to be held at the inner ends of their strokes against and supporting the vulcanizer. The plungers, however, are successively withdrawn radially by the eccentric portion 20 as the cam ring I1 revolves so that a space is provided between the vulcanizer and the end of the Withdrawn plunger, the vulcanizer being then supported by the other plungers in engagement with it.

The hose or other article to be vulcanized as it passes through the vulcanizer, is tightly compressed within an envelope or matrix comprising the fiat longitudinal strips 23 which overlap each other so as to form a complete enclosure circumfer'entially of the hose. Such strips may be of thin metal such as steel or of fabric such as canvas, or of any other suitable material. These longitudinal strips are tightly bound against the hose, so as to be under the desired vulcanizing pressure, by means of a strip 24 of suitable material, which may be either metal such as thin steel or fabric such as canvas, which is tightly wound about them in helical form. The longitudinal strips 23 and also the strip 24 are endless.

The strips 23 are suitably relatively positioned about the hose by the guide 25 just before entry into the vulcanizer and after passing through and emerging therefrom each of the strips 23 passes into a tubular guide 26 whereby it is guided back to the guide 25 whence it again reenters the vulcanizer.

The strip or string 24 is helically wound about the matricular longitudinal strips 23 and hose during the vulcanizing operation, being unwound after emerging from the vulcanizer and passing over a pulley 2'! on a bracket 28 on the rotating cam ring I5 on the support I3 and into a tubular guide 28 supported by said cam ring and the cam ring I5 upon bracket 28 upon the rotating cam ring l5 upon the support I4. From the guide the strip passes over the pulley 29 carried by the bracket 28 to and around the longitudinal strips 23 and the hose just before the latter passes into the vulcanizing chamber.

The guide 28' through which the outer course of the helical strip 2 passes, being secured to the rotatable ring I! in the supports I3 and I4 as described causes the strip 24 to be wound on to the longitudinal strips 23 and the hose just before it enters into the vulcanizer (at the right hand side of Fig. 1) and is unwound therefrom after it emerges from the vulcanizer (see the left hand end of the vulcanizer as viewed in Fig. 1), it being observed that the strip 24 is fed on to the longitudinal strips and enclosed hose before entering the vulcanizer, on one side of the hose and is taken oii therefrom after leaving the vulcanizer at the opposite side of the hose. The tension in the strip 24 as it is wound upon the longitudinal strips and enclosed hose may be created by the friction about the pulleys and through the guide Where it passes, but if it is desired to increase the tension on the strip being wound on the hose and so increase the tightness or pressure which it bears on the hose, this may be accomplished by retarding the strip and thereby in creasing the tension upon it as it is wound about the hose. Such retarding means may consist of a brake shoe 3U bearing against the strip and the pulley or either of them, such brake being mounted upon the arm 3I which is pivoted upon the bracket mounted on the rotatable cam ring IT, a spring 32 being provided which is adjustable by means of the nut 33 to cause any desired pressure of the brake shoe and so regulating the tension of the strip as it is wound on the hose to any desired value.

While the convolutions of the strip 24 are shown as being substantially in contact with each other it will be apparent that by adjusting a the pitch of the winding the convolutions may be made to occupy any desired relation with each other. It will also be apparent that while one helically disposed strip is shown a plurality of such strips might be employed, being wound alongside each other about the hose, and each of these strips being wound and unwound from the hose and passed through a guide from the exit to the entrance end of the vulcanizer in the manner described.

The rotation of the cam rings I! to accomplish the winding and unwinding of the strip 24 as described is accomplished by spur gears 34 and 35 respectively meshing with the spur gears 36 and 3'! upon the peripheries of the cam rings IT in the supports I3 and I4. These gears 34 and 35 are fixed upon a shaft 38 which is rotatably mounted in the supports I3 and I4 and is driven by gears 39 and 40, the latter of which meshes with a gear fixed upon the shaft of the electric motor 42.

The longitudinal strips 23 and the wound strip 24 are bound to the hose or other article to be vulcanized so as to be carried through the vulcanizer with it, the longitudinal strips 23 after emerging from the vulcanizer being returned to the guide 25 whence they again enter the vulcanizer, and the strip 24 being unwound after exit from the vulcanizer and returned in its outer course to the entrance to the vulcanizer where it is again wound on.

The rolls 4 for pulling the hose through the vulcanizer, which rolls are geared together by the gears 5, are driven from the shaft 38 by means of suitable gearing 43 which will be such that the hose will be drawn in the direction of the arrow while the cam rings ll will rotate in the direction to wind on the strip 24 before the hose enters the vulcanizer at the right hand end (see Fig. 1) and will be unwound therefrom after the hose leaves the'vulcanizing chamber at the left (see Fig. 1). Also the hose being drawn forward and the strip 24 being wound about the hose, being driven from the same driving means and thus connected in a certain relation,the driving connections will be so adjusted that the hose will be moved through the vulcanizer and the winding means for the strip 24 will be so operated that the desired pitch of the winding will be secured and when so adjusted such relationship will be maintained.

As the outer course of the strip 24 with its guide 28' are rotated about the hose and vulcanizer as described, the supporting plungers It for the vulcanizer are successively moved as the strip and its guide reaches them, so as to provide a passage between the inner end of the plunger and the vulcanizer by having the eccentric portion of the cam strip and the strip guide 29', on each of the supports [3 and M, on substantially the same radii, so that each plunger is moved outwardly so as to provide a passage for the strip and its guide when they reach that position. At other times the plunger is held at the inner end of its stroke, so as to support the vulcanizer, by means of the concentric portion of the cam strip l8.

In order to supply electric current to the heat-- ing resistor 6, the vulcanizer has mounted upon its ends conducting rings i l and I2, and upon such conducting rings bear the spring-pressed brushes M in the brush holders as 45 secured to the strip guide 28. In the same holders, and so in electrical connection with the brushes M are the spring-pressed brushes 3E bearing against the conducting rings 47 mounted upon the stationary supports l3 and M to which are connected the two conductors, plus and minus respectively, of an electric circuit. It will now be seen that circuit is provided through the resistor from one end to the other, the connection with the ends of the resistor respectively being maintained by means of the brushes 44 and 46 as the outside course of the strip 24 and its guide are rotated about the vulcanizer.

It will be apparent that while two supports have been shown for the vulcanizer that the vulcanizer might be made of any desired length and any desired number of supports, each with the apparatus as described, might be provided.

While the invention has been illustrated in what is considered its best application it may have other embodiments without departing from its spirit and is not therefore limited to the structures shown in the drawings. Similarly, the terms and expressions employed in the foregoing description and in the appended claims are to be accorded the broadest definition consistent with the functional principles of the operative parts to which they refer. For example, the ex pression strip stock is intended to embrace lengthy stock of fiat, round or polygonal crosssection, solid or tubular, and having smooth, stippled, or ribbed surface marking. Likewise, the terms band and string are employed in the claims in a broad sense, embracing flexible, strip-like members, either flattened or circular in cross-section, where such form is consistent with the coactive structures recited.

What I claim is:

1. Vulcanizing apparatus for the continuous processing of strip stock of unlimited length, comprising: a heater through which the strip stock is progressively longitudinally fed for processing, and means for confining said stock to definite external form and dimension during its passage through said heater, said last-mentioned means consisting of one or more matrix-forming members arranged longitudinally of the heaterdisposed portion of said stock, co-motive therewith, and capable of contiguous assembly as an enveloping matrix therefor, and means for bind ing said longituclinally-arranged matrixforming members in uniform matricular assembly with said strip stock as it enters said heater, maintaining said matricular assembly during through said heater and self-releasing said members from bound matricular assembly after egress from said heater, said self-releasing inding means comprising a highly flexible string of high tensile strength threaded through said heater in the form of a helix, and means for uniformly helically winding and tensioning said string about the heater-entrant portion of said matrix-forming members and unwinding said helix as it emerges from said heater.

2. Vulcanizing apparatus for the continuous processing of strip stock of unlimited length, comprising: a heater through which the strip stock is progressively longitudinally fed for processing, and means for confining said stock to definite external form and dimension during its passage through said heater, said last-mentioned means consisting of a plurality of flexible endless bands each having a portion longitudinally threaded through said heater and capable of enveloping assembly as a co--motive matrix for the portion of said stock passing through said heater, and means for binding said longitudinally-arranged matrix-forming members in uniform matricular assembly with said strip stock as it enters said heater, maintaining said matricular assembly during passage through said heater and self-releasing said members from bound matricular assembly after egress from said heater, said self-releasing binding means comprising a highly flexible string of high tensile strength threaded through said heater in the form of a helix, and means for uniformly helically winding and tensioning said string about the heater-entrant portion of said matrix-forming members and unwinding said helix as it emerges from said heater.

3. Vulcanizing apparatus for the continuous processing of strip stock of unlimited length, comprising: a heater through which the strip stock is progressively longitudinally fed for processing, and means for confining said stock to definite external form and dimension during its passage through said heater, said last-mentioned means consisting of one or more matrix-forming members arranged longitudinally of the heaterdisposed portion of said stock, co-motive therewith, and capable of contiguous assembly as an,

enveloping matrix therefor, and means for binding said longitudinally-arranged matrix-forming members in uniform matricular assembly with said strip stock as it enters said heater, maintaining said matricular assembly during passage through said heater and self-releasing said members from bound matricular assembly after egress from said heater, said self-releasing binding means comprising a highly flexible endless band of high tensile strength having a portion threaded 15 through said heater in the form of a helix, and means for uniformly helically winding and tensioning said endless band about the heaterentrant portion of said matrix-forming members and unwinding said helix as it emerges from said heater.

4. Vulcanizing apparatus for the continuous processing of strip stock of indeterminate length, comprising: a heater through which the strip stock is progressively fed for processing, and means for confining said stock to definite external form and dimension during its passage through said heater, said last-mentioned means consisting of a plurality of flexible endless bands each having a portion longitudinally threaded through said heater and capable of enveloping assembly as a co-motive matrix for the portion of said stock passing through said heater, and means for binding said longitudinally-arranged matrix-forming members in uniform matricular assembly with said strip stock as it enters said heater, maintaining said matricular assembly during passage through said heater and self-releasing said members from bound matricular assembly after egress from said heater, said selfreleasing binding means comprising a highly flexible endless band of high tensile strength having a portion threaded through said heater in the form of a helix, and means for uniformly helically winding and tensioning said endless band about the heater-entrant portion of said matrixforming members and unwinding said helix as it emerges from said heater.

5. Vulcanizing apparatus for the continuous processing of strip stock of indeterminate length, comprising: a heater through which the strip stock is progressively fed for processing, and means for confining said stock to definite external form and dimension during its passage through said heater, said last-mentioned means consisting of a plurality of longitudinally and transversely-flexible, inherently substantially flat, endless bands each having a portion longitudinally threaded through said heater and capable of curvature and assembly with said strip stock as a co-motive matrix for the portion thereof passing through said heater, die means slightly spaced from the entrance of said heater for urging said bands into matricular association with said strip stock in advance of its entry into said heater, and means for binding said die-associated bands upon said stock as it enters said heater, maintaining said matricular association of bands and stock during passage through said heater and self-releasing said bands from bound matricular assembly after egress from said heater, said self-releasing binding means comprising a highly flexible string of high tensile strength threaded through said heater in the form of a helix, and means for uniformly helically winding and tensioning said string about the portion of said matricularly-associated bands intermediate said die means and heater and unwinding said helix as it emerges from said heater.

6. Vulcanizing apparatus for the continuous processing of strip stock of unlimited length, comprising: a tubular heater through which the strip stock is progressively longitudinally fed for processing, means for confining said stock to definite external form and dimension during its passage through said heater, said last-mentioned means including stock-binding means consisting of a highly flexible endless band of high tensile strength having a portion threaded through said tubular heater in the form of a helix and means rotative about the longitudinal axis of said heater for uniformly helically winding and tensioning said endless band around the heater-entrant portion of said strip stock and coincidentally correspondingly unwinding said helix as it emerges from said heater, and means for supporting the band-winding and unwinding means and permitting unobstructed orbital movement of the unwound portion of said endless band external of said tubular heater.

ARCHIBALD L. WALLACE. 

